The novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is considered widespread across New Hampshire, and state officials are doing what they can to acquire the emergency supplies needed before the number of diagnosed cases surges in the state.>> Download the FREE WMUR appA specialized procurement team is working long hours in a room at the New Hampshire Emergency Operations Center, which is behind a state police roadblock. Entry to the center’s parking lot requires a body-temperature check.”This group here and myself have been like stockbrokers on the stock exchange trying to get PPE from everywhere from the (Strategic National Stockpile) orders and when they’re coming in and how that gets distributed, commercial vendors, and actually borrowing from other vendors,” Perry Plummer, assistant commissioner of safety, said. >> COVID-19 in New Hampshire: What you need to knowState employees are working the phones to track down personal protective equipment including masks, face shields and gowns, along with ventilators and other crucial supplies that will be in high demand in the coming wave of COVID-19 cases.The need is worldwide, making the job all the more difficult.>> Latest coronavirus coverage from WMUR“You have literally everyone in the world competing for all the same manufacturers right now. A small municipality in France is competing with the state of New Hampshire, which is competing with the country of Mexico and the United States for these exact same items,” Gov. Chris Sununu said.”Quite frankly, there are people with suitcases of cash at the factories trying to buy PPE as it comes off the production lines,” Plummer said.The pandemic is a few weeks away from its peak in New Hampshire. The EOC team is working around the clock to ensure the state’s needs will be met.“We’re not leaving any stone unturned. We’re going to keep pushing. These folks in this room have been doing an incredible job and they’re one of the reasons I have a lot of faith that at the end of the day, whether it’s PPE, ventilators, ventilator-type machines, beds. We’re going to be prepared,” Sununu said.WMUR noticed on Thursday that the EOC’s logistics team was discussing who would be taking a call from an overseas supplier coming in at 2 a.m., so it’s really a 24/7 operation during this crisis.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** See an interactive map of town-by-town data **
The novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is considered widespread across New Hampshire, and state officials are doing what they can to acquire the emergency supplies needed before the number of diagnosed cases surges in the state.
A specialized procurement team is working long hours in a room at the New Hampshire Emergency Operations Center, which is behind a state police roadblock. Entry to the center’s parking lot requires a body-temperature check.
“This group here and myself have been like stockbrokers on the stock exchange trying to get PPE from everywhere from the (Strategic National Stockpile) orders and when they’re coming in and how that gets distributed, commercial vendors, and actually borrowing from other vendors,” Perry Plummer, assistant commissioner of safety, said.
>> COVID-19 in New Hampshire: What you need to know
State employees are working the phones to track down personal protective equipment including masks, face shields and gowns, along with ventilators and other crucial supplies that will be in high demand in the coming wave of COVID-19 cases.
The need is worldwide, making the job all the more difficult.
>> Latest coronavirus coverage from WMUR
“You have literally everyone in the world competing for all the same manufacturers right now. A small municipality in France is competing with the state of New Hampshire, which is competing with the country of Mexico and the United States for these exact same items,” Gov. Chris Sununu said.
“Quite frankly, there are people with suitcases of cash at the factories trying to buy PPE as it comes off the production lines,” Plummer said.
The pandemic is a few weeks away from its peak in New Hampshire. The EOC team is working around the clock to ensure the state’s needs will be met.
“We’re not leaving any stone unturned. We’re going to keep pushing. These folks in this room have been doing an incredible job and they’re one of the reasons I have a lot of faith that at the end of the day, whether it’s PPE, ventilators, ventilator-type machines, beds. We’re going to be prepared,” Sununu said.
WMUR noticed on Thursday that the EOC’s logistics team was discussing who would be taking a call from an overseas supplier coming in at 2 a.m., so it’s really a 24/7 operation during this crisis.
